Grumpy turned Miracle

Last October when I moved into my house in Chimoio I used to refer to one of my guards as “the grumpy one” (totally not nice but it was true). There was a time when I thought, “can I really have this guy ‘guarding’ me, my family, and my house?” Little did I know how unwell he was.

This afternoon I was sitting inside trying to enjoy a cup of coffee and reading a book. I kept hearing this strange noise outside so I went out to see what was going on. It was nothing, just the neighbors doing something. But of course, just showing up outside Nede’s always convinced that you stepped outside just to see her and spend the next hour being bossed around and playing a game according to her rules only. Today was different though, my grumpy guard was sucked into the game too.

At first he was rigid, awkward and maybe even nervous as Nede told me where to stand and him to stand in between us. She was ready to whip a basketball at him as she prepared to enjoy a great game of “Pickle-in-the-Middle.” (No wonder he was afraid, he had no idea what we were doing and she had a big ball). I had a difficult time explaining the game in Portuguese so I decided to be the first “Pickle” and show him what to do. It took about 3 seconds (of me being a total clown in the middle as Nede flailed this way and that trying to fake me out) for Grumpy to start laughing, a real laugh. A belly laugh that tickled my ears as it's so unfamiliar to hear such a sound from a Mozambican man! This went on and on for almost a half hour as we took turns being in the middle. The simple joy that this game brought each of us seemed like such a gift. It’s taken 10 months for this sound of laughter to billow over my fences. I think it was music to the ears of God. It felt like a really special miracle.

I then brought out Nede’s bubbles and started blowing a few. Of course  Nede scrambled around like a wild woman trying to pop each and every one. Pretty soon my guard was reaching from the chair he was sitting in trying to pop any that came his direction. My mind then drifted from were I was. I was brought back to when I was in college and Deanna and I had bought bubble guns from Walmart. We used to drive down University Avenue blowing bubbles out the window. It was those carefree moments where just a simple bubble brought lots of joy and laughter, leaving behind the stresses of life.

Since knowing Nede I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the significance and simplicity of the Scriptures that encourage us to have “child-like faith.” Today playing ball and blowing bubbles with my 2 friends (who couldn’t be more different from me) I realized, “this is it! This simplicity of joy, laughter and unity is what it’s about. This is life. Delighting in the simplest of things as if there’s not a care in the world.” Yes, I’m sure God was laughing and smiling down upon us, pleased to give us this miracle. I felt pure joy and the presence of God more than I have for a long time while I was the “pickle-in-the-middle”. Former Mr. Grumpy was able to leave his worries outside the fence and be a kid, the child he probably was never able to be. And, my own kid me got me out of the house and, in her childish ways, brought me to my faith, noticing God again.

And I would say, it was one of the best hours I’ve had in a long time.

It was simple, yet, profound. I wonder how much happier I could be if I allowed myself to see and enjoy more simple miracles? I want to try.